Our Darkest Moments
by WriterMeg18
Summary: Halley, an eighteen year old alien with strong powers and a dark past comes out of the shadows in National City. After she is captured by Kara and Alex, Kara takes her under her wing and decides to help her. They quickly form a tight bond, that naturally, leads to danger, struggle, and a lot of heartache.
1. Captured

Supergirl stood about 10 feet away from the burning apartment and studied the scene. The firefighters were struggling to control the fire, and she overheard them say that people still inside. She could hear screams of a family trapped inside the building, and flew towards the window. The heat was intense, even for her. Taking a step back, she began blowing her cold air at the flames. When they died down, she flew into the room and searched for the family. It was difficult to see due to the smoke and flames, so she used her super hearing and heard the cries of a child coming from a room in the back. Within seconds, she flew towards the sounds and found them. A man and woman huddled together, shielding two small children from the flames. Kara walked over and attempted to pick up the four of them at once, but the man shook his head.

"Take them!" He yelled, pushing his family towards her. He noticed the hesitation on the hero's face and nodded his head at her. Kara picked up the woman and children, held them tightly, and flew back outside. Once they were a safe distance away from the danger, she placed them gently on the ground.

"My husband!" The lady exclaimed, hugging her two girls. The youngest one, three or four looked up at Kara, fear and confusion on her little face. At that moment, there was a crash from the building. The toddler began crying, which made Kara's chest tighten. She told the family to stay where they were and took off back to the apartment .

Once inside, she went back to the place she left the man, but couldn't see him. She began to panic, looking around what was left of the home, calling for him. An image of the rest of the family flashed through her mind. The thought of this man's wife and kids living without him, knowing he wasn't saved killed Kara. It reminded her of her own sister, Alex, and how her father is no longer around either. She shook the thoughts away and looked for him again, flying through flames and broken down walls. Suddenly, she heard coughing coming from the front of the house. She flew towards it, and found the man struggling to get out the door. Without warning, she swooped in, grabbed him, and made it out safely before the roof above the space they were just in collapsed.

"Thank you so much!" The mother exclaimed as she hugged her husband and young daughters. She looked up at Kara.

She smiled and placed her hand on her arm. "Just doing my job," she replied sweetly. And with that, she took off and flew back to see if she could do anything else to help.

When she returned, the firefighters had managed to put out the remaining fire. A few came over to her and exchanged their thank yous, and Kara knew it was alright to leave. Before taking off, she spotted a girl standing in the alley next to the apartment. She was about seventeen or eighteen years old, her long, wavy blonde hair glowing from the light coming from her hands. Kara looked at them and saw flames coming from them. But the girl didn't seem to be in distress. She looked pleased with the situation as she studied the scene. Kara took a few steps in her direction, and called out to teen's head shot up, her facial expression turning into anger. She threw her hand out, flames suddenly appearing in a circle around Kara and preventing her from coming any closer. Kara quickly put them out as she had just done before, but it was too late. The girl had already disappeared.

"Supergirl. Supergirl, are you there?" A familiar voice spoke in Kara's ear. It was Alex, a hint of concern in her voice.

"Yeah, I'm here. On my way back," Kara replied. She took one more look around, hoping to see the mysterious girl before heading back to the DEO.

…..

"What happened out there?" Alex asked her sister when she returned to the DEO. The two walked back to the main room, Hank following close behind.

"There was a girl. Seventeen, eighteen, near the house," Kara told them once they were standing next to Winn.

"So what?" He asked, stuffing his face with red vines.

Kara looked at him, then at Hank, then at Alex before saying, "Her hands were on fire. But she wasn't in any pain."

Alex exchanged her a concerned and interested look. "Alien?"

"Must be," Kara replied. "And not exactly looking to be the next Supergirl. That fire was definitely intentional."

"You sure?" Hank asked, crossing his arms.

Kara leaned her hands on the table and paused before responding, "The look on her face makes me think so. She looked, satisfied. Like she was proud of herself."

"If that's the case, we need to find her," Hank said. "The last thing we need right now is a young, dangerous, careless kid with powers out there."

"We'll get on that as soon as possible." Alex assured her boss.

Kara stood up straight and turned to them.  
"But, not right now. I have to do some stuff for work and if I don't go in tomorrow with it done, Cat will kill me."

Hank nodded. "Tomorrow. This girl is now our top priority."

…..

"How do you now she'll be here?" Alex asked her sister as the two of them rummaged through the rubble of the burned down apartment. Kara knelt down and moved some pieces of metal out of the way, seeing if there was anything there to lead them to the girl.

"I don't," she replied. "But I'm hoping there's something here that can help, or maybe she'll show up again."

The two women made their way to the spot where Kara had found her the previous day.

"This is where I saw her," Kara said. "When I called to her, she was _not_ happy."

"That's because you, like every other _good_ person on this planet, thinks they can just come on in and ruin everything."

Kara and Alex spun around to see their target standing directly behind Alex. The girl grabbed Alex and threw her into the wall next to them.

"Alex!" Kara cried, flying at full speed towards the teen. She crashed into her and they both went tumbling on the opposite side of the alley. Kara held her down, but the girl lit up her hands and arms with fire until the pressure was too much for her opponent. Kara let go, giving the girl enough time to stand up. It was then that she realized her shoulder was popped out of it's socket. Without hesitation, she put it back in, barely reacting at all. Kara gave a small laugh.

"No pain, eh?" She said.

"Not really," the younger one replied with a smug expression. "But it looks like she feels some." She said, nodding towards Alex. Kara turned around with wide eyes, seeing Alex wincing in pain but trying her best to stand. She flew towards her, helping her up.

"You okay?" She asked.

"Yeah- Kara watch out!" Alex warned.

Kara turned and saw that the other girl was simply not giving up. She lit her hands on fire again and put another flame circle around her. Kara managed to push Alex out of the way before she was also surrounded. While she proceeded to put the fire out again, the teen was distracted, not noticing Alex come up behind her and knock her down. They struggled for a bit, but Alex took advantage of the surprise and was able to put a metal-bracelet type object around her wrist. As the girl was pinned down, she attempted to push Alex off but noticed her strength was no longer there. Neither was her fire.

"Don't bother." Alex told her. "This," she said grabbing a hold of the bracelet on her wrist, "Is all I need to stop your powers." Then, she pulled out her gun and pointed it down at her.

"Do it. Shoot me," She said, looking Alex right in the eyes and pointing between her own. "Right here."

"Alex! Stand down!" Kara yelled out as she walked up behind them, out of breath. Alex stared down at the young blonde for a few seconds. She couldn't help but see Kara in her. She stood up, pulling her up with her. "You're coming with us." She said. The girl gave her a dirty look, and was dragged away with Kara following close behind.


	2. Halley

A guard stood at the doorway facing the cell. The girl inside it watched him carefully, taking in his clothes, weapons, and face.

 _This place has some serious trust issues._ She thought to herself. Giving the man a half smile, she asked politely, "Could I get something to drink?"

No answer. He remained where he was and didn't move. So she tried again, a little more aggression this time.

"I said, could I get something to drink?" Still nothing. She laughed. "Okay, let's try something a little different. The girl with the "S". You call her, what, Supergirl?"

The guard still said nothing. So she continued.

"What's her real name?" This time when she asked, she looked him straight in the eye. A second later the guard looked back at her, his eyes became glassy and cold.

"Kara Danvers," he replied. After a moment, he closed his eyes and shook his head. He seemed to be unaware of what just happened to him.

But she did. She nodded and looked around the cell. "Good to know."

…

"Do we really have to lock her up?" Kara asked, trying to keep up with Hank as he walked quickly through the DEO. Alex followed close behind.

"It's protocol," she told her sister.

"We have no idea who she is. She burned down an entire apartment and put lives in danger. We can't trust her," Hank explained.

Kara stepped in front of him. "She's just a kid."

"A dangerous one," he said. "She could have killed Alex."

"I know but-"

"Look, I understand how you feel but until we know who she is and what she wants, she stays."

Kara realized that Hank wasn't going to give in. She knew he was right though. This unknown alien was clearly a threat, but there was something different about her. Kara's Supergirl instincts kicked in and she felt obligated to help. And if Hank wasn't going to assist, she'd have to do it herself.

When no one was paying attention, she snuck into the room where they were keeping their newly captured alien. The girl sat on the floor in her cell, leaning against the glass wall and looking extremely unimpressed. One of her knees was up to her chest her arm rested on it. She didn't even move when Kara walked in and stood with her arms crossed facing her.

Now that she was standing closer and not in danger, she was able to study the girl. Her blonde hair was a little lighter than her own, her eyes more grey than blue. A few freckles on her small nose. Her expression was the definition of a poker face, but her body language suggested she was quite bored. Kara knew better, though. The girl was a bit jittery, her foot shaking slightly. It was evident she was putting on a brave face. Kara had pulled that move a hundred times before. Neither said a word for a few moments, then the prisoner laughed to herself. "You're the best they got here?"

"What's your name?" Kara asked, ignoring the question. She didn't want to show the slight offense she took from it. When she didn't get an answer, she tried another question. "Where are you from?"

When she still didn't get an answer, she looked at her feet and smiled slightly, hoping to put the girl at ease.

"You know," she started, "The longer we play this game, the longer you'll be in there."

"Maybe I deserve to be in here." The girl said, her sassy tone making it clear that Kara was definitely going to get a run for her money. She gave her a confused look in response, took a breath, then left the room in silence.

Supergirl closed the door behind her, turned around, and saw Alex watching her a few feet away.

" _You_ are not supposed to be in there," Alex said in her big sister voice. Kara gave her a look.

"She didn't tell me anything anyway."

The two walked down the hall together. Kara could almost _feel_ Alex's disapproval, but she knew what she did wasn't _that_ bad. Hank was most likely going to do the same thing, and wasn't exactly going to play the good cop.

"Hank would not be pleased," Alex said, breaking the silence. Kara sighed.

"I know, I know. But what does he expect us to do? Wait around until she begs for us to come in? The sooner we figure out who she is the better."

The two women found Hank, where he was already waiting for them.

"The tests we did on her earlier came back," he told them. "She has some interesting powers. Her ability to create fire is her strongest one. And then there's the lack of pain. It appears she can still be injured, but feels nothing and can heal immediately."

Alex had a flashback to when she had the girl at gunpoint. She told her to shoot her right between the eyes.

 _Her weakness?_ She thought.

"She's strong too, as you know," the boss continued. Not as strong as me or Supergirl, but still strong. Then the most interesting of all. She seems to have a psychological ability."

"Like yours?" Kara asked.

"Not quite. The prefrontal cortex on the brain, which tends to increase in activity when we lie, is the opposite for her. Instead of changing when _she_ lies, it changes when _other_ people lie."

Alex placed her hands on the table in front of her and looked down. "So you're saying she detects when people lie?"

"Yes," Hank confirmed. "And there's this." He grabbed a remote nearby, pressed a button, and a video played on the screen. It showed the cell, and how the prisoner took control of the guard. "She can force the truth from people. She knows who you are, Supergirl."

There was silence between the three of them. They all knew this both her identity and DEO could possible be exposed to the public if they were not careful. Kara looked at the two of them. She knew she needed to gain this kid's trust, or no one was safe anymore.

….

Kara walked back into where the girl was being kept. She was still sitting on the floor. "Wanna try this again?" Kara asked.

The girl rolled her eyes and leaned her head back on the glass."What's the point?"

This confused Kara even more than before. "Don't you want to get out of there?"

"Your boss doesn't seem to care what I want."

"He's not here right now, I am," Kara told her. "But he's being cautious. You haven't exactly given us a reason to trust you yet." She waited for a response, and when she once again failed to get one. "We know about all your powers." Silence, so she tried a different approach. "Look, the next person who walks through that door isn't going to be as patient with you. He _will_ make you talk. And he'll find a way to make you feel pain."

The now concerned girl looked up at Kara, but still didn't speak.

Kara pursed her lips, then asked kindly, "Can you at least tell me your name?"

Barely above a whisper, she received a "Halley" from the girl.

"Okay, now we're getting somewhere," Kara said smiling a little more. "Where are you from, Halley?"

"Starhaven."

"Starhaven," Supergirl said, taking a moment to let the new information sink in. "It's a nice planet. "How'd you end up here?"

Halley took a breathe and brought both of her knees closer to her chest and rested both arms on them this time. "Living on Earth is my punishment."

Kara walked over and sat down across from Halley on the other side of the glass. "Punishment?"

Halley didn't respond right away. She got fidgety again and looked at the wall. Kara didn't push her to talk this time. She let the girl figure out what she wanted to say, if anything. After a minute or two, she looked directly at Kara and didn't take her eyes off her as she spoke,

"Everyone on Starhaven has powers that reflect who they are. Their jobs, hobbies, personality. Doctors can cure anything, teachers give students whatever skill they need. I heal _myself_. I start fires, I get inside people's heads, invade their privacy. I was different, on Starhaven. Got a mix of powers that didn't really make any sense. I was seen as a monster, so that's exactly what I became."

"What happened?"

Before Halley could explain, the door opened and Alex stepped in. "Supergirl, we need you," she said, looking at her sister, then Halley, then her sister again.

Kara stood up, walked over to Alex and whispered, "She was just opening up to me."

"I'm sorry, but Hank is asking, like now."

Kara gave her an annoyed nod, took a step past her, but stopped. She turned and looked at Halley, saw the sad look on her face, and walked over to the code panel next to the cell.

"What are you doing?" Alex asked, both confused and worried. She took Kara's arm but Kara shook her away.

"What's right," she replied, and let the cell door open.


	3. A New Starhavenite

Alex watched in shock as the cell door opened and Halley puzzlingly watched and scooted to the back of the glass prison. Alex reached for the keypad, but Kara grabbed her hand before she pressed any buttons.

"It's okay," Kara reassured her sister.

"Okay?" Alex repeated, almost laughing at how crazy Kara sounded. "Did you forget that less than 24 hours ago she tried to kill me? Kill _you_?"

Kara paused. She had heard those same words from Hank, but when they came from Alex, it hit harder.

"This is insane, Kara," she said. "I am not just telling you this as a DEO agent but as your _sister._ "

Kara knew deep down it _was_ insane. She wouldn't do this for any other alien. But there was something about Halley. And as Supergirl, it was her job to help and care for people, no matter how twisted.

The two of them stared at each other for another minute without speaking, then Kara turned and walked over to Halley. "Come on out," she said softly to her. "You don't have to be scared."

Halley stood up and walked past Kara. "Huh, I'm not scared," she said, trying to act tough.

Alex shook her head and watched her closely. "What about Hank? You think he'll be happy to see her walking free in the DEO?"

Kara took a breath. "We better go talk to him." She started towards the door but realized no one followed. "It's okay," she said to Halley. "Just stick with me." Kara stepped out of the room, Halley starting to follow.

Alex didn't trust her, and she knew Kara wouldn't change her mind until she had a reason to. When she walked past, she grabbed her arm and said quietly enough so her sister wouldn't hear, "The _only_ reason you're walking out of here right now is because Supergirl is too _good_ to keep you in here. Do _not_ take advantage of that."

Halley's eye twitched slightly as she and Alex gave each other a look that could cut glass. Then Alex let go, and watched her walk out of the room after Kara.

As soon as they walked into the heart of the DEO, every agent with a gun turned and pointed them at Halley. She froze in her place and lit her hands on fire, from both the stress and a natural instinct. Hank turned around when he noticed, pulling a gun out himself.

"What is she doing out of her cell?"

Kara stood between the two of them, putting her arms out to prevent anyone from getting hurt. "Halley, relax. Hank, put the gun away. She's not a threat," Kara said, hoping to reassure him before he ordered for Halley to be shot and Halley burned everyone alive.

"Like hell she's not."

"If this is a problem I can go back," Halley chimed in.

Kara turned and motioned for her to stay where she was. "No," she said, then looked at Hank. "Hank, please just trust me. She's just scared and confused and I really think we can help her."

"It's not you I don't trust, it's her."

"Give me one week," Kara pleaded.

Hank told the agents to stand down, looked at Halley who was now fiddling with a computer and called out, "Hey! Don't touch that." Halley rolled her eyes a bit and moved to an empty chair to sit down. She spun around in it a few times, and Hank sighed. "Fine. You have _one_ week to prove to me she can be trusted, otherwise I will have no choice but to detain her again." Without another word, he began walking over to the screens. "There was an alien spotting at Grandview Park about an hour ago. "

"Did it hurt anyone?" Kara asked.

"No," Hank replied. "But it did quite a bit of damage.

Photos of the destroyed park flashed on the screen. Broken benches, fallen tree branches, what was once a bright, newly built playground was now bleak and dilapidated. An otherwise full, lively fountain was dry, and the grass and sidewalks were covered in trash. The park was unrecognizable. The fourth photo to appear showed a strange symbol drawn onto part of the pavement on the basketball court. A medium yellow star was in the center, with five smaller stars in a curved line above it, all within a big circle.

"What is that?" Alex asked, studying it carefully. Before anyone could respond, Halley glanced up at the picture and continued spinning in the chair as she stated, "It was a Starhavenite."

Everyone turned to look at her. When she realized it got quiet, she stopped and peered at the group watching her.

"Excuse me?" Hank asked, crossing his arms.

"A Starhavenite," she repeated, a little anxious now. "Uh, from Starhaven. My home planet." She nodded towards the symbol on the screen. "That star is like a secret message for aliens from there. It means they're looking for someone."

"I guess I'll go down there." Kara spoke, getting ready to leave. "Alex, you coming?"

Alex grabbed a gun and loaded it as she replied, "Always."

"Take her," Hank nodded at the young girl.

Halley narrowed her eyebrows and pointed at herself as she asked, "Me? Why?"

"You think it's a coincidence that we find you and a few hours later this shows up?"

Halley shot Hank a dirty look, marched up to him and despite being a good foot and a half shorter, got up in his face. "I've been here for 7 years," she said calmly but with just a hint of anger. "I came alone. So whatever reason they had for doing this now, it has nothing to do with me." Then she stormed away, Kara and Alex following close behind.

…

The three of them made it to the park and scanned the scene. It was empty, the crunching of leaves beneath their feet the only sound. Kara wandered around while Alex examined the ground and stray objects for DNA. Halley walked straight over to the star symbol on the ground. She knelt down and placed her hand in the center. She closed her eyes and took a breath. She could hear Kara and Alex walking towards her, so she opened her eyes and was about to stand up. But taking one more look, she noticed the initials, "S.A" in the bottom right corner. It wasn't visible in the photos. She traced her fingers over them and felt a twinge in her chest as if someone was wringing out her heart like a wet towel.

"What's wrong?" Kara asked, seeming to sense Halley's confusion. She stood up and turned around to face them, putting on a blank expression. "Nothing," she replied.

"You said Starhavenites leave these when they're looking for someone?" Alex asked.

"Yeah," Halley answered.

"How do you know if it's for you?" Kara spoke up.

"It, uh, usually they leave some kind of clue. Halley stuttered.

Alex took a step closer and knelt down. "You mean like this?" She pointed to the letters in the corner. "Do you know anyone with these initials?"

Halley hesitated, rubbed her arm and said confidently, "No."

Kara looked at her, suspicious of her body language. Alex noticed as well, so she asked again, "Are you sure?"

This time Halley became a little annoyed. "It means nothing to me. Let's look around somewhere else." She turned and walked away from them. Alex exchanged a look with her sister but neither of them spoke. Alex stood up. "Come on," she said to Kara, proceeding to follow Halley.

…

After a thorough search around the park, the three of them returned to the DEO. Alex and Kara reported back to Hank about the star, but that there were no other clues as to who or where this alien was. When she heard Hank tell them to go home and call it a day, she waited until he walked past her before chasing after him.

"Hey, um," she blurted. He turned around, clearly surprised to hear her talk to him without attitude. "We kind of got off on the wrong foot earlier, so I just wanted to let you know that I would never do anything to jeopardize your job, or-or your life."

"I appreciate that." He replied kindly.

"It's just, um, I feel like you, aren't really comfortable having me around, and I'm sorry if I did anything to cause that. You know, other than the fire, and stuff."

"I'm going to be honest with you. I'm not happy with you knowing about this place, walking around here, Supergirl being so quick to see the good in you. But, I do know what it's like to be judged, and hated for simply being you." He paused, watching a sad look appear on the girl's face. "You're safe here," he continued. "Just don't give yourself a reason for that to change. We clear?"

"We're clear." Halley said nodding quickly and half smiling.

All while this was happening, Kara and Alex were having their own conversation.

"I'm thinking about letting her stay with me," Kara said slowly, knowing Alex wouldn't approve.

Alex blinked and stared. She wasn't sure she heard correctly. "You're what?"

"I just don't feel right about making her stay here, alone, when she's already been alone for so long."

"Kara, you've known her for, what, a day?"

"I know, I know. But Alex, this is what Supergirl does. She helps people."

"This is different. For all we know, she's just playing nice and she has some other agenda."

"That's not fair. I don't see her as an evil villain. Give her a chance."

"Okay, let's say she's good like you and won't hurt you or anyone else. She knows your name. What if she exposes you?"

"She won't. Come on Alex, you know I can't do this without your support."

Alex paused and thought about it. Did she think her sister was insane? Definitely. But did she have good intentions? Always. And the look on her face made Alex feel a rush of guilt. "Okay, fine," she said. "But if things get out of hand, she's back here immediately. No negotiating."

Kara gave her a hug and kissed her on the cheek. "Gotcha," she said.

Halley then rejoined them. "I guess, I'll go back to my cell for the night." She told them. But before she could turn and leave, Kara stepped toward her.

"Hey. How would you feel about coming home with me tonight? I can figure something out for you."

Halley raised her eyebrows and looked at Alex, then back at Kara. "Seriously? Why would you do that?"

"I want to," Kara replied.

Halley didn't quite understand. She didn't exactly give off a good first impression that would imply she would make a good roommate. But she also wasn't too excited about being stuck in that damn cell again, so she didn't ask anymore questions.

"Yeah, okay, sure. Thanks," she said. She noticed Alex wasn't happy about this, so she was determined to gain her trust in the next few days. She only hoped Kara didn't have many flammable things in her apartment, just in case.


	4. Skye Axzen

Kara gave Halley her bed for the night and slept on the couch, and promised she'd sort out something the next day. Halley couldn't remember the last time she slept in a proper bed. In a safe, dry, comfortable place. Since coming to Earth, she had always struggled to find decent places to sleep. Usually she turned to breaking into stores, empty apartments, garages, and using whatever was available to create a bed. The last seven years consisted of doing her best to survive, but also not get caught. When she first arrived, she was only 11, and didn't understand anything about the strange, new planet. As a little kid, her parents told her few stories about it, but most were not good. After her first year here, it was evident to her that playing it safe wasn't getting her anywhere. That's when she started the fires and destruction, only proving everyone on Safehaven to be right.

It was 1:20 A.M, but Halley couldn't sleep. She could hear Kara breathing heavily on the nearby couch and tried to focus on that, but all she could really think about was the symbol they found at the park. The initials flashed in her mind, going over every possible explanation, except the one she truly wanted to believe.

 _There's no way._ She thought. After a few more minutes of trying to sleep with no luck, she gave up and got out of bed. As quietly as she could, she walked to the fridge and took out a bottle of water. Kara moved a little on the couch, and Halley froze and watched. When she was sure she was still asleep, she tiptoed past and walked onto the balcony. She had never seen the city at night from this view before. It was different. More real. A handful of lights were still on in some windows, a couple of cars on the streets, but otherwise, it was dark. The only true light was the moon above her. Halley sat down on a patio chair, bringing her knees up to her chest and hugging them. She tilted her head and looked up at the black sky. She searched for constellations and planets, trying to remember what her father taught her as a kid. Suddenly, she felt her eyes begin to get heavy. She looked at the stars for another moment before letting her eyes close.

"Halley. Halley, wake up."

Halley could hear a voice saying her name and felt a hand on her arm. It startled her, causing her to burn whoever it was.

"You know that won't hurt me, right?" The voice said. Halley opened her eyes and saw Kara standing over her. The sun was bright, the chilly night air now warm, her bottle of water on the ground by her feet.

"What time is it?" She asked Kara, pushing herself to sit up properly in the chair.

"7:30, and I have to get to work." Kara answered.

"I, I couldn't sleep so I came out here last night. Sorry," Halley apologized, now standing up.

Kara gave her a little smile. "It's okay. I've done it too." She walked back into the apartment and grabbed her coat and bag. Halley came in next, not sure what to do. She watched Kara proceed to put on her shoes and jacket, and head for the door. Without looking back at Halley, she opened it and walked out. Halley stood there, confused. A second later, Kara appeared back in the doorway. She laughed a little and jogged over to Halley.

"Oops, I'm not used to having someone else here." She said, looking apologetically at the young alien. She paused, thinking for a moment before smiling and getting a mischievous look on her face. "Have you ever flown before?"

Halley raised her eyebrows and her jaw dropped slightly. She shook her head. Kara took her arm.

"Come on," she said, pulling Halley out of the apartment with her this time.

…..

Kara held Halley as they flew over the city. Halley had her eyes half shut, her fingers clenched around Kara's arms. Kara laughed. "I was a little scared my first time flying too," she said.

Halley opened her eyes and looked up at Kara. "I'm not scared," she lied. Kara laughed again and started flying faster. They eventually made it to the DEO, Kara landing gently on the ground.

"Well, um, that was, that was, fun," Halley managed to get out as she brushed her clothes off. Kara held back a giggle as Alex walked up behind them.

"What are you doing here? Don't you have work?" She asked Kara.

"Isn't this where you work?" Halley asked.

Kara grabbed Alex's arm and looked at her watch. "Oh no! Yeah, I gotta go. Halley, just stay here, and uh, I'll be back right after work, okay?" Before Halley could ask more questions, Kara took off. Halley stood awkwardly next to Alex, then turned to her. "So, where does she work?" she asked. Alex didn't respond, just turned and started walking into the DEO.

When they got inside, Alex took the liberty of finding Halley something new to wear. "It's a little big, but it'll be fine until you can get something better."

Halley changed and set her old clothes down on the bench in the locker room. She waited to see if Alex said anything else and when she didn't, she spoke up. "Okay look, I know you're not the biggest fan of me. I get that. But it's been a day and I'm trying my best. Your sister seems to have faith in me, why can't you?"

"Who told you she's my sister?"

"No one."

Alex cocked her head at Halley. She was observant, that was for certain. But that wasn't enough to convince Alex she was trustworthy. "Kara is the kindest, most genuine person I know. She sees something in you that I don't. At least not yet."

Halley noticed the optimism in her voice. She also noticed it was the truth. She hoped it meant she would be able to change Alex's mind. She was aware she had her issues, but this was the first time in years someone seemed to care about her.

"There's something I have to do," Alex said. "Just, stay here and _please_ don't wreck anything." Alex left the room, turning left and heading to the end of the hall. She opened the door to the room where the _Living Memory_ program was. She turned it on and watched the image of Kara's mother appear.

"Hello, Alex," it said.

"I need you to tell me about a girl named Halley from Starhaven."

"Halley Axzen is a Starhavenite," it started. "Her parents were Rosa and Leo, two of Starhaven's most successful citizens."

"How did she end up on Earth?"

"Halley caused her parents' death. Her older sister, Skye Axzen, told the council. She was banished immediately from Starhaven and sent here to Earth where she must stay."

"What did she do?"

"When Halley was 11, her powers became stronger. It was said that she got into an argument with her parents, and then there was an accident.

"What kind of accident?"

"I'm sorry, I am not programmed to give you that information."

Alex sighed, then thanked her, and turned the program off. She processed the information she was just told. _That explains a lot._ She thought. _I'll tell Kara when she's done work._ Then she left the room.

…..

A few hours later, Kara finished up at work and flew back to the DEO. Alex was waiting for her when she arrived.

"Hey, how was everything with Halley?" Kara asked.

"I actually wanted to talk to you about her," Alex said. "In private."

Kara looked a little nervous and confused as Alex pulled her sister over to an empty portion of the room.

"Everything okay?"

"I spoke to your mom, uh, I mean, the _Living Memory._ I asked about Halley."

"Why would you do that?"

"Aren't you curious about why she's here? Who she is?"

Kara tilted her head and crossed her arms. "Well, I guess a little bit. Why? What did you find out?"

Alex looked at the floor. "She killed her parents, Kara. By accident. I'm not sure how, but afterwards her older sister Skye told the council and Halley was forced to come here. She can't go back."

Kara's heart sank inside her chest. "Oh wow," was all she could mutter.

Alex gave her a sad look. "I still don't know if I trust her, but I also think she deserves someone to be there for her. And I'm glad it's you."

Kara smiled and gave her sister a hug. "I love you, Alex," she said.

"I love you too," Alex replied.

"Where is she?" Kara asked, pulling out of the hug.

"Locker room."

"I'm going to talk to her."

Alex nodded. "Do your thing."

Kara walked into the locker room to find Halley going through people's lockers. The locks were burnt and various items were scattered around the floor. She looked behind her and saw Kara giving her a disapproving look. She put the shirt she was holding back in the open locker and gave Kara a guilty smile.

"I wasn't gonna take anything," she said.

"Have you ever thought about using your powers for good?" Kara asked.

Halley wasn't sure she understand the question. "What?"

"You know, help people. Use them for something other than what you've been using them for. " Halley rubbed her arm nervously and looked away from Kara."The only thing they've have been good for is causing pain."

Kara walked over and shut a few of the lockers, despite them not being able to close fully anymore. "I could train you. Teach you how to fight with your powers properly."

"Really?" Halley was surprised at this offer.

"Really. We start now."

…..

"If I can heal, why do I need to be a good fighter anyway?" Halley said as she and Kara circled each other in the training room.

"Just because you heal fast, doesn't mean you're invincible, Kara explained. "I'm not either. You can't rely on one power. You need to use all of them to your advantage. So to start, we're going to practice your strength. No fire."

Halley leaned forward and swung her fist but Kara grabbed her arm and flipped her onto her back. Halley laid there, catching her breath, then Kara reached for her hand to help her up.

"Why do you want to help me so much?" Halley asked as she got back on her feet.

Kara paused for a moment and stood across from the younger alien.

"I was sent to Earth to protect my cousin. To make sure he was safe. I never got to fulfil that purpose, and I feel like I need to. With you. Now, let's try again."

The two girls spent the next hour fighting, Halley struggling to attack Kara successfully. She felt like she was on the floor more than on her feet. But Kara continued to push her to her limit. When Halley was knocked down for what seemed like the 100th time, she didn't stand back up.

"Again," Kara demanded.

Halley sighed and pushed part of her hair behind one ear. "I'm tired, Kara."

"You think when you're fighting, your opponent is going to let you take a rest?"

"No, but-"

"Then get up and let's try it again."

"I clearly can't do this," Halley said, standing back up onto her shaky legs.

"You can! You're stronger than you think. Just try harder."

"You think I'm not trying my best right now?"

Halley lunged and punched at Kara, grazing her fist against her cheek but Kara was too fast for her. She grabbed her arm and shoved her against the wall, holding her there for a few seconds.

"I think something's holding you back," she said before letting her go.

"Oh really? Like what?" Halley asked, turning around quickly. Then she proceeded to grab Kara's arm, and twist it behind her.

"You tell me," Kara said, freeing her arm and backing away from Halley.

"Nothing to tell."

"What about your parents?"

Halley froze in her place. She looked at her mentor, starting to get anxious. "What?"

"I know, Halley," Kara said slowly."I know about what happened. You have a sister don't you? What's her name again?"

At the mention of her sister, Halley became angry. Without hesitating, she attacked Kara again and managed to hit her a couple of times. "Don't talk about my sister," she said firmly.

Despite the clear message, Kara didn't stop. "Skye?"

"This has nothing to do with my parents or Skye." Halley said, swinging at Kara.

"You killed your parents."

Halley backed up and turned so her back was to Kara. She did not want to hear this. "Shut up!"

"You couldn't control your powers and there was an accident. You're angry. You blame yourself. And you deal with it by acting tough but you're really just scared of hurting anyone else."

Halley turned back around and looked Kara dead in the eyes. "Kara, I mean it."

"Skye never could look at you the same way again after what happened. She blamed you too. Then she betrayed you and told the council. You were banished and forced to come here."

That was all Halley could take. "I said shut up!" She screamed, grabbing Kara's arm and flipping her over onto her back with a loud thud. She knelt down, lit her hand on fire and pressed her arm down on Kara's throat. She looked down at her and said with pure anger in her voice, "Don't you _ever_ mention my family again." Then, after another second of holding Kara down, Halley released her arm, stood up, and walked out of the room without looking back.


	5. Breakfast At Kara's

After the sparring session, Halley asked Alex for a ride back to Kara's apartment. Alex let Kara know, and took her back. By the time Kara decided to talk to her, Halley was out on the balcony, staring out at the city once again. The sun was setting and it was starting to get cold. Kara came up behind her, putting a light sweater over herself. "Hey," she said softly.

Halley barely looked over her shoulder. "Hey."

"Can we talk?"

Halley nodded and Kara leaned on the ledge next to her. "I'm sorry about what happened earlier," she started. "I just wanted you to use your powers, but I was too hard on you and it was so uncalled for."

"You weren't wrong though," Halley said, taking a breath. "I am angry. I blame myself. And Skye, she blamed me too. I remember the look on her face when she walked into the room. Fear, full of hate. I don't know which was worse."

Kara looked at her. "You were a kid. You didn't understand what was happening."

"I stopped using that excuse years ago," Halley said, making eye contact. "I was 11. I knew better than to react the way I did. Than to..." She trailed off, the guilt consuming her like it had been doing for years. Then she tried again. "My parents were arguing about me. They were scared of what I could do. Not many aliens on Starhaven have the kind of powers I do. They got upset, I got upset, and the next thing I know the room's on fire and my parents are on the floor. Dead."

Kara sighed. "Halley, I- I can't imagine what that must have been like for you."

"That family I almost killed, the one you saved- it reminded me of my own. I thought, if I didn't get a life with mine, why should anyone else? What makes them worthy and not me? But I know why."

Kara waited a few seconds before speaking, "I know this isn't the same, but last year I was exposed to this substance. Red Kryptonite. It made me crazy. I did horrible things. Put lives in danger. Everyone was scared of me, no one felt safe anymore. It took a long time to get things back to normal. But I didn't let them turn me into something I wasn't. Sure, I dressed differently and my attitude was awful but, my heart never changed. I was and still am Supergirl." She paused, waiting for Halley to lock eyes with her.

"You are not your past or your mistakes," she continued. "And you are not your pain."

Now Halley looked away, trying to hold back tears. She opened her mouth to say thank you, but nothing came out. She inhaled a shaky breath, then exhaled, and Kara seemed to know what she wanted to say. "You're welcome," Kara said. She took off her sweater, placed it over Halley's shoulders, then turned and headed back inside.

Before making it to the couch, she stopped in her place. An image of the star symbol they had seen at the park popped into her head, followed by Halley's sister's name.

"S.A. Skye Axzen," Kara whispered to herself. She turned around in disbelief and looked at Halley still standing on the balcony. It was then that it hit her. Halley's sister was on Earth.

….

It was 8 A.M on a Saturday. A few days had past since Halley opened up about her past, and she had been settling in quite nicely in Kara's apartment.

A sleepy Halley dragged herself over to the island and took a seat. Kara came over with a steaming mug of coffee for her.

"One thing I miss about sleeping wherever I want, is I can also _wake up whenever_ I want."

Kara grinned. "Drink that," she said, pointing at the drink. She walked over to the cupboard and opened it. "Do you want pancakes or waffles?"

"Well, I've never had the luxury of having either, so you pick," Halley confessed.

Kara spun around, her eyes wide and her mouth open. "Uh, are you _kidding_ me?" She grabbed a box of pancake/waffle mix and placed it on the counter in front of Halley. "I am making you _both_ this morning."

She grabbed the rest of the necessary ingredients, plus a handful of chocolate chips, poured them into a bowl and began mixing. When she had stirred for a couple minutes, she poured the batter into a waffle maker, and then into a pan.

"You know you could probably just cook those with your powers right?" Halley said.

"Oh, no. You need to have the _full_ pancake and waffle making experience." She kept stirring while she continued conversation. "So, what did you normally eat? When you were on your own?"

Halley took a sip of coffee, despite it being too hot. It didn't affect her. "Basically whatever I could get that didn't need to be cooked. I mean, I have my fire but I managed to burn everything. Legally, I shouldn't tell you how I got it though."

Kara didn't argue with that. Some things are better left unsaid. Then Halley looked to her left, a framed photo of younger versions of Kara and Alex caught her eye. "How come you and Alex don't look alike?" She asked, changing the subject without warning.

Kara stopped flipping pancakes. "I was adopted."

"Really?"

"When I was 13."

Halley wrapped her hands around her mug and looked into it. "This may be overstepping, but what happened to your parents?" She looked up at Kara.

"My planet was destroyed. Everything and everyone on it, gone. My parents put me in a ship, and sent me here so I'd be safe."

"Wow," Halley said, lifting her eyebrows and pursing her lips. "Looks like we both had some shitty childhoods." She gave Kara a sympathetic look. "I'm really sorry."

Kara transferred a few pancakes from the pan onto a plate and turned the stove off. "Thanks."

"Do you ever wish they hadn't sent you?" Halley blurted. "You know, so you could have been together at least?" She saw Kara's face drop. "I'm- I'm sorry. I don't think before I speak."

"No, it's okay. I used to. When I first landed, I immediately wanted to go back and tell them I was going to stay with them. But I reminded myself they wanted what was best for me, and I had a purpose here. Plus, my adoptive parents were… _are_ great, and Alex is _the best._ I wouldn't want to call anyone else my sister."

Before Halley could say anything else, there was a knock on the door. Kara looked through it and saw who was standing on the other side. "Speaking of my sister," she said as she walked towards it and opened it. Alex smiled and hugged Kara.

"Hey, good morning," she said.

"Come on in. Just in time for pancakes and waffles."

"Pancakes _and_ waffles? I know you need your extra calories but it's still early."

Halley swallowed the coffee she just took a gulp of and raised a hand to admit she was the cause. "That would be my fault. I told Kara I haven't had them before."

Alex took her jacket off and set her bag on the floor. "Oh, makes sense now. What's the verdict?"

Halley gave a thumbs up, as her mouth was now too full of food to give a verbal response. She took another bite of a pancake. Kara and Alex both smiled.

"Looks like she's adjusting nicely." Alex said quietly.

Kara nodded. "Yeah. Yeah, she's doing good."

Alex studied her sister's face. "What about you?"

Kara hesitantly nodded. "I'm fine." The crinkle between her eyebrows said otherwise.

At the island, a little ping went off in Halley's head and she rubbed her right earlobe. She looked at Kara and Alex and watched them talking secretly at the door. Whatever it was that one of them had just said, it was a lie. It was times like this she wished she had super hearing along with everything else. What good was being lie detector if she couldn't hear the lies?

The only hint that Alex's facial expression gave Halley was that the conversation was anything but good. She worried it was about her. _Is Kara regretting her decision to take me in?_ She wondered.

"Kara," Alex said in her big sister voice. Kara checked to see that Halley was still preoccupied with her breakfast, then looked at Alex. "She didn't get to be in a family when she first got here, I did. And I like having her here. It's like how you must have felt when I came. Like a sleepover that never ends."

"So what's the issue?"

"I realized something the other night. Remember the initials we saw in that Starhaven symbol?"

Alex shrugged, not understanding what Kara was suggesting. "Yeah?"

"S.A. Halley's last name is Axzen, her sister's name is Skye. Coincidence?"

Alex put the pieces together now. She looked past Kara at Halley, who was now standing up and putting her dishes in the sink. "There haven't been any reports of alien attacks or sightings since that other day. You think Halley knows?"

"When we were at the park she seemed a little agitated after seeing it. She must have at least thought about it. But she hasn't said anything to me."

Halley quietly came up behind them just then. "Everything okay?" She asked.

"Yeah, yeah. Everything's fine," Kara lied, giving Halley a smile.

The ping went off again and Halley touched her ear. She knew something was going on, but decided not to question it right now. If Kara thought it was important, she'd mention it. Right?

"So, Alex," Kara said, quickly changing the subject. "You hungry?" She walked over to the island, only to find a clear surface. She turned and checked the counter by the stove and could see an empty plate sticking up from in the sink. "You ate them _all?"_ She asked Halley.

Her lips slowly spread into a guilty smile. "I guess I like them," she said.

"It's okay," Alex added. "I grabbed something on the way here."

Halley paced the room, stopped in front of the couch and fell back into it. She flipped through a few magazines and books sitting on the coffee table. "So, what do you guys usually do when you're not fighting aliens, or at the office?"

Alex and Kara glanced at each other, blank looks on their faces.

"So, nothing?" Halley clarified.

"Does watching TV and eating potstickers count?" Kara asked.

"Potstickers?"

Kara's head fell to the side and her mouth opened to speak but nothing came out. She exhaled. "Well, I know what we're eating for dinner tonight."

Suddenly, there was what sounded like gunshots from somewhere outside. The three of them rushed to the balcony and peered out to a nearby street. People were scattered and running in every direction surrounding one of the buildings. Kara used to super hearing and heard a couple of men and a woman screaming at someone for money.

"Sounds like a robbery. I gotta go," Kara exclaimed, ripping the front of her button up open, exposing the "S" on her chest.  
"I'll meet you over there," Alex told her. Kara nodded and flew off towards the commotion. Halley followed Alex back inside and watched her grab her jacket and bag."What about me?" She asked, already knowing Alex would order her to stay there. Alex looked up at her.

"Stay here," she said, then took off out the door.

….

Kara landed on the ground outside of the building just in time to see a middle aged man pointing a gun at a store owner. A younger man and woman stood a few feet away, pointing their guns at a few teenage boys who were simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. When they saw Kara behind them, the oldest one spun around and pointed the weapon at her.

She shook her head and sighed. "When are people going to learn that bullets don't work on me?"

The man tightened his grip and his arm shook. Kara softened her face and put her hand out to him. "This isn't going to end well if you don't give me that gun, you know that."

Behind him, the shop owner attempted to back away and sneak out the back door. Kara's eyes shifted to him, causing the robber to follow her gaze and turn the gun back on him. She lunged forward and grabbed the gun, ripping it from his hand and then pushing him to the ground. The other two started shooting at Kara but when they realized they were wasting their time, they started to run. Before they could get too far, Halley appeared and blocked their path. The man laughed. "We're not scared of a little girl," he said.

The ping didn't go off in her head, so she knew he was being honest. She lit her hands on fire and watched his eyes widen and jaw drop. "What about now?"

Out of fear, the women pulled the trigger and it hit Halley's left shoulder. She winced a little, taking a step back from the force, and looked down. She took her index finger and thumb, reached into the bullet hole and pulled out the piece of metal. In her shirt, remained a small hole. Her head snapped up and she looked at the women.

"I just bought this shirt!" She cried.

But before she could do any harm, Alex drove up and stepped out of the car, gun in hand. "Halley!" She yelled. "Move!"

Kara then walked out of the store, pushing a now defeated looking man in front of her. She saw Alex, then turned to where her gun was pointed and saw Halley, hands burning and eyes focused on the man and women. She shoved the man she had hold of towards Alex and told her to take care of him for the police. Then she flew over to stand in front of Halley, and demanded the other two to get on the ground. They did as they were told, throwing their weapons to the side. A few seconds later, three police cars arrived. Kara grabbed Halley's arm and dragged her to a private corner where they wouldn't see her.

"What the hell are you doing here?" She asked through gritted teeth.

"I- I thought I could help." Halley answered quietly.

Kara was in disbelief. She brought a hand to her head and took a few breaths.

"Help with what? Getting yourself killed? Or exposing yourself to everyone?"

"Okay, first of all, I can only be killed _one way_ , and I wasn't going to let that happen. And secondly, isn't that exactly what you do every time you come out here wearing that stupid cape?"

"I'm going to ignore that comment about the cape. And no, Halley, this is _not_ the same."

Luckily, Alex walked up and interrupted before the two could bicker any further. Kara turned to her, and Alex immediately gave her a look that said, _I didn't know._

"I'm not talking about this now. I'm-I'm _too_ angry," Kara spat. Then she stormed off to talk to the police. Alex gave Halley a disappointed and annoyed look, then followed her sister, leaving Halley standing alone with her sorry self.


	6. Meeting Skye

"What the hell were you thinking?" Kara shouted when her, Alex, and Halley were back at the apartment. Halley stood at the foot of the bed and picked up a shirt from the pile of clothes Kara bought for her. She took hers off, and threw the new one on. Alex stared at her sister from the door. She knew enough to keep her distance and let her sort this out her own way.

"I was trying to help," Halley stated, now looking at the angry blonde. "Use my powers for something good. Just like you said."

Kara let out a small "I can't believe this" laugh. "After _one_ training session? Which may I remind you, didn't go that well. After your past tendencies to burn down buildings? After Alex _told_ to stay here?"

"Really?" Halley said, crossing her arms. "You're going to bring my past into this? I'm _trying_! I can't just stand in the background and watch."

"That's _exactly_ what you can do. Until I decide you're ready and we have a _plan._ "

"Why is everything always up to you? You put that suit on and suddenly you're in charge."

"Don't push me, Halley."

Halley uncrossed her arms and walked past Kara to the coffee table. She picked up the magazine on the top of the pile. A photo of Supergirltook up the entire cover. Appropriately enough, the headline read: _"Supergirl: Taking Charge in National City_ ". This whole city seems to think so," she said, showing Kara the image. "The difference is that humans only see what they want to see." She slapped the book back down on the table. "Well, I'm not human."

"As long as you're staying with me, you're going to listen to me. End of story."

Halley's eye twitched. "Then maybe I shouldn't stay with you," she said coldly.

Kara watched the stubborn girl brush past her again and head towards Alex at the door. Halley grabbed the doorknob and swung it open.

"Halley-" Kara started, but Halley disappeared and slammed the door before she could finish her sentence.

"That went well," Alex said sarcastically.

Kara plopped down on the couch and lay her head on the back of it. Alex joined her and took her hand. "She'll come around," she assured her sister with a smile. "And I'll look for her after she has time to cool down." They sat together, taking a breather. Kara only hoped Halley wouldn't get in any trouble while out there alone.

* * *

Halley sat on a bench facing the water. She replayed her conversation with Kara over and over in her head. Her blood boiled in her veins and she clenched her jaw. Deep down, she knew Kara had a point. It was pretty stupid to show up at the store unannounced. But it was easier to be angry than to admit that and apologize.

Just then, someone walked up behind her, interrupting her thoughts. She assumed it was Kara and said, "If you're here to give another one of your inspiring, hopeful, movie-like speeches, don't bother."

"I think she got that from me," the voice replied.

Halley looked over her shoulder and saw Alex looking down at her. She turned back around as she asked, "Did she send you?"

"No," Alex said, sitting down next to Halley. Neither one said a word for a few minutes, both staring out at the water, squinting at the reflection of the sun on it's surface.

"You know," Alex started, "This is where I came out to Kara."

Halley looked at her, surprised. "You're gay?"

Alex nodded. "Yup."

Halley smiled. "Any girl you got your eye on?"

Alex smiled back, thinking of Maggie. "Yes, actually. My girlfriend."

"She's lucky to have you," Halley said, then she paused and looked down at her lap. "So is Kara,"

"I think you should talk to her." Alex said, shifting the subject back to the main focus.

Halley sighed. "Why?"

"Because this isn't going away until you do." Alex waited for a response, but when she didn't get one she added, "Do you know how many times Kara and I have been in this situation? A lot. The first fight we had after Kara discovered what the silent treatment was, she didn't speak to me for a week."

Halley looked back over at her. "What were you fighting about?"

A grin appeared on Alex's face. "I ate the last potsticker."

Halley laughed. "I still have no idea what those are."

"You will soon enough." Then she got serious again. "Eventually she realized ignoring me wouldn't solve anything. You're gonna have to talk to her sooner or later."

Halley brushed some of her hair out of her face. "She just _really_ got under my skin earlier. I made a mistake, fine, I admit that. But it's like, if something's not benefiting her, it's wrong."

"She really cares about you," Alex said. "Sometimes she just gets so caught up in helping people that she forgets it won't always end perfectly."

"She thinks I want to be just like her. I don't."

"Then you need to tell her. Be real and honest. Trust me, she'll get it."

The two of them stared at each other. Halley knew she was right. She nodded. "Okay. Okay, yeah, I'll talk to her later."

Alex shook her head. "Now," she corrected her.

Halley gave her an annoyed look despite the slight smile on her face. Alex stood up and held her hand out towards her. Halley took it and stood up as well, and Alex put her arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer. Then the two of them started walking.

* * *

After Alex had left to find Halley, Kara went to the DEO to get some of her anger out in the training room. When Halley walked in, Kara was in the middle of beating up a punching bag. Though, she mistakenly decided to use a normal one, and when she hit it, it flew and made a loud _thud_ when it hit the wall.

"What did it ever do to you?" Halley asked.

Kara turned when she heard her speak. "I didn't think I'd see you again today."

"Alex found me. Convinced me to come talk to you."

Kara waked over to where the punching bag landed, picked it up and set it against the wall.

"I'm sorry," Halley apologized, biting her lip.

"You really scared me," Kara said. She walked over to a small bench in the corner and sat down. Halley came over and sat down beside her.

"It doesn't matter that you can heal, because something can still go wrong." Kara explained. "It doesn't mean I won't be worried about you."

"I didn't understand that before. For seven years, I've fended for myself. No one was around to watch out for me. I guess I'm still getting used to it."

"Maybe I came off too strong. I was just so excited to have someone else like me that I could look out for," Kara said. "Someone I could guide and support. Alex has always been here for me, so it was nice to be in _her_ shoes for once."

"And there's no one else I would rather have to be that for me," Halley exclaimed. "But I also need to make my own choices. Even stupid ones. I didn't agree to let you train me so I could become a hero like you. So I could wear a skirt, and tights and a cape- as fun as that sounds." Her last few words coming out sarcastically, Kara chuckling. "I did it for myself. For my family. To become something better than I was."

Kara took a minute to let those words sink in. It never occurred to her that Halley had no intention of being a "hero". At least, not in the traditional sense. "That's very profound of you," she told her.

"I'm a very profound person," Halley joked.

"Oh really?"

"Yeah."

They both sat there smiling for a few seconds, then Kara nodded towards the middle of the room where a large circle was drawn on the floor. She playfully bumped her shoulder into Halley's and asked, "Do you wanna go a few rounds?"

Halley raised her eyebrows at her. "You feel like losing or something?"

"Oh, yeah right." Kara said laughing, and they both stood to start fighting.

* * *

Halley decided to stay for a little while and continue practicing her skills, so Alex promised Kara she'd make sure she got back. Kara flew back to her apartment, picking up some potstickers on the way and then entering through the window instead of the door. She put the food on the counter, picked out a pair of sweats to spend the night in and put her suit away. As she opened the fridge and grabbed a bottle of pop, there was a creak in the floor behind her. She spun around to a women not much younger than her standing in the living room. Her hair was a sand colour, wavy and rested on her shoulders. Her eyes were familiar, as well as the smug look on her face.

"Nice place you got here. No wonder Halley wants to be here" The women said, looking around the space.

"Skye?" Kara said, already knowing the answer.

The women smiled. "The one and only," she said, putting her arms out as if to present herself. "Where's Halley?"

"What're you doing here?" Kara asked, ignoring her.

"You didn't answer my question."

"She's not here."

"Well, I can see that. I came to see her." Skye began exploring the apartment, looking at photos on the walls and picking up a few miscellaneous objects around the room. "Has she mentioned me at all? She must have figured out that I was the one who left that message in the park."

"You realize that I could attack you at any moment, right?" Kara piped in.

Skye stopped by the bed and stared down at the pile of Halley's clothes. "But you won't. That's not how Supergirl does things. She likes to talk before fighting. Be the voice of reason."

Kara moved slowly and carefully around the counter to be closer to her. "How do you know that's who I am?"

Skye looked up at her. "I didn't. Well, I had a hunch, but you just confirmed it, so thanks." She noticed the confusion on Kara's face and rolled her eyes. "I saw you and Halley at that store. I watched, made note of what you looked like, then finished the puzzle. Wasn't that hard."

"How are you here? On Earth?" Kara asked.

She turned around and walked back towards the window. "That's a story for another time," she said, walking out onto the balcony. "When Halley comes back, could ya tell her I stopped by? I'd really love to see her." She disappeared as quickly as she had appeared, and Kara rushed out to see where she went. She peered over the side and saw Skye climbing down the wall like an animal. Once she planted her feet on the ground, she vanished around the corner. Kara looked up and processed what just happened. "Are all Starhavenites so arrogant?" She asked herself, then headed back inside to wait for Halley to break the news.


	7. Skye VS Supergirl

Alex dropped Halley off about an hour after Skye made a surprise appearance at Kara's. She thanked Alex for the ride, headed up to Kara's floor and walked into the apartment. Kara sat on the couch watching an old movie that Halley didn't recognize, staring blankly at the T.V. She barely looked up when the door opened and shut. Halley hung up her jacket and grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge, then walked over to the couch and plopped down next to Kara. When she still didn't react, Halley reached for the remote on the coffee table and turned the T.V off. Kara blinked and turned to look at her. Her face was a mix of surprise and confusion, as if she had no idea anyone had even walked in.

"Are you okay?" Halley asked when she had finally got Kara's attention.

"Yeah," she lied. "Everything's fine."

Once again, the ping went off. Halley was about to call her out on the lie, but Kara reached forward and grabbed the box of potstickers from the coffee table. She shoved it into Halley's lap. "Try one," she demanded. She looked at her with an excited look on her face, masking the clear anxiousness she had only moments ago. Halley took one and popped it in her mouth. Kara smiled, waiting for a reaction.

When Halley finished chewing and swallowed, she grabbed another. "Wow," was all she could say.

"Right?" Kara laughed, taking one for herself.

Halley watched her, debating if she should ask what was wrong. After an inner battle inside her head, she decided she was too tired to get into anything. Whatever it was, it could wait until tomorrow.

* * *

Kara woke up early the next morning, unable to sleep any longer. She couldn't stop thinking about Skye. How was she going to tell Halley? She decided she needed to talk to Alex first.

She checked to see if Halley was still asleep, then walked onto the balcony. She pressed Alex's name in her phone and waited. Alex picked up on the third ring.

"Hey, what's up?" She heard her sister's voice ask on the other end.

"I need to talk to you," Kara said. "Like, as soon as possible."

As she listened to Alex talk, she looked down and noticed something she hadn't before. An identical star symbol to the one they found in the park was drawn in the corner of the balcony. Skye's initials took up a large portion of the circle, and beside them read the word: "Park". She stared at it, forgetting she was on the phone.

"Kara? You still there?"

Kara snapped back into reality when she heard Alex's voice. "Uh, I'm here. I'll- I'll come by your place in an hour."

They hung up and Kara went inside. Halley was still asleep, so Kara had time to remove the symbol.

Halley woke up 30 minutes later to Kara getting ready to leave. "Where're you going?"

"Hey, good morning. I, uh, I need to see Alex about something," Kara explained. "Um, there's food in the fridge so feel free to make something. Try not to burn down my apartment, okay? And I don't just mean with the cooking." And with that, she rushed out the door, leaving a groggy and confused Halley with a million questions and no answers.

* * *

"We should call Hank," Alex said after Kara explained the situation.

"No. No, we can't. Halley would never forgive me."

"Kara, Halley doesn't even _know_. And she should."

"I know," Kara sighed. "I'm going to tell her. Just, not yet. Maybe I can get through to Skye. Maybe I can fix this. I'll just go to the park and find her."

"I should go with you," Alex said.

Kara shook her head. "No, no, I can handle this. I'm not going to let you get anymore involved than you already are." She hugged Alex and kissed her on the cheek.

"Be safe," Alex told her.

Kara walked to the door, opened it and turned to her sister. "Always," she smiled before disappearing into the hallway.

* * *

"Where's Halley?" Skye asked when Kara flew down in front of her.

"Not coming," she replied. "Wasn't feeling up to it."

"You didn't tell her about me, did you?" Skye laughed. "I thought I made it pretty clear last night that I wanted to see _her._ Not you."

"Based on what she's told me, you're not exactly her favourite person."

"And based on what she's _done,_ she's not mine either. She told you about all that, right? Well, I doubt she told you what _I_ can do." Skye stretched her right arm out towards a nearby tree, clenched her fist like she was grasping something, and whipped her hand in Kara's direction. The entire plant uprooted from the ground and flew towards her. Kara dodged it and flew upwards, then landed behind Skye.

"It doesn't have to be with this way, Skye." Kara tried telling her. She stepped forward cautiously, hoping not to spook her.

Skye got a look of excitement on her face. "But it's more fun when it is, isn't it?" She put her palms face up, her fingers curling inward and lifted her hands slowly. The ground shook, the asphalt separating beneath Kara's feet, forcing her to jump again and hover high above the now broken pathway. Kara realized there was no point in talking it out. She flew towards Skye at full speed, sending her backward, her body dragging against the ground until she came to a stop. Kara began punching her opponent, unaware of Skye's hand moving beside her. A couple of tree branches from another tree stretched out in their direction, wrapping themselves around Kara's waist and arms. Before she had a chance to react, they scooped her up and tightened around her. Her eyes widened, her lungs begging for air.

Skye coughed a few times and struggled to stand. She wiped the blood from her mouth and stared up at Kara. "Supergirl isn't so super now, is she?"

Kara continued gasping for air, her legs kicking and eyelids fluttering. Her strength was no use when everything was starting to shut down. Skye clenched her fist, forcing the branches to squeeze Supergirl's torso even more, but then released her fingers. Kara crashed down on the ground, and lay completely still. Skye walked over and towered over her. Giving her a little kick to wake her up, Kara's eyes opened slightly.

"I'm not going to kill you," Skye told her. "Halley's not here to see it." She gave her another kick in the side, this time harder. Kara winced and coughed, then watched Skye turn and leave like nothing happened.

* * *

Alex held her sister's hand as she was scanned for internal injuries. After Skye left Kara injured in the park alone, Alex got worried and immediately rushed to where she was. She was brought to the DEO, where Alex demanded they do multiple tests to ensure she was okay. As they waited for the test to complete, Halley barged into the room.

"I heard. What happened?" She asked, her eyes darting from Kara to Alex, then back to Kara.

The machines hooked up to Kara started beeping, and Kara sat up slowly with Alex's help.

"Had an encounter with an alien. Didn't go too well," Kara explained.

"What alien?" Halley asked.

Kara passed a look with Alex, who kept quiet. "Uh, I don't know."

A little ping went off in Halley's head and she touched her ear. "You're lying," she said. "You're always lying. I know when you do, remember? Just tell me."

Kara took a breath, which caused a sharp pain to shoot through her ribcage. She clutched her stomach, then looked up at the young girl. "It was your sister, Halley. Skye's on Earth."


	8. Here We Go Again

"Halley, wait!" Kara called out, standing up and wincing in pain again. Alex tried to pull her back but she was already half out the door. She chased after her, limping and holding a hand to her stomach. "Where are you going?"

"To find my sister," Halley responded coldly as she continued walking towards the exit.

When Kara caught up to her, Alex close behind, she grabbed her arm and spun her around. "Halley, please listen to me."

"Why?" Halley asked, looking at Kara. Her blood boiled and heart was beating faster than any human's ever could. A few flames sparked from her hands in anger. "What could _you_ possible have to say that will make this better?"

"I'm sorry, I really am. Your sister is a lot more headstrong than you let on. I thought I could get through to her and-"

Halley cut her off. "That wasn't your call to make, Kara! You think that "S" on your chest gives you a free pass to do whatever you want? It doesn't." Halley turned and started walking again, Kara hobbling past her as best she could.

"Hey!" Kara blurted. "I made a mistake, okay? But you shouldn't go after her alone."

Halley was coming up to the exit and didn't turn around as she replied, "Watch me," before slipping out the door.

"Should we follow her?" Alex asked, now standing next to her sister.

Kara sighed and turned to face her. "She's angry and hurt. There's no point."

Another sharp pain shot through her stomach and she grunted through gritted teeth.

"Okay," Alex said as she put her arm around Kara's back as support. "I trust Halley will be fine until we find her. You on the other hand, need to sit down." They slowly started walking back to the testing room, Kara continuously looking back at the exit.

* * *

Scanning the park, Halley stood at the exact spot where they had found the first star symbol. She was kicking herself for brushing off the idea that Skye may have been here. If only she had looked into it, maybe she would have talked to her already and Kara wouldn't be injured.

 _Whatever. It's Kara's own fault._ Halley thought.

She didn't see Skye anywhere, so she walked further down the path. Her eyes darted back and forth from the ground, searching for any clues, then back up to look around the area. An ocean of questions swam through her head. How was Skye on Earth? Why wasn't she trying harder to find Halley? What did she want? Halley had no answers to any of them, becoming frustrated. A soccer ball rolled over to her, a couple of kids chasing after it. Halley picked it up, the children waiting for her to throw it back. She smirked, then lit the ball on fire. The kids backed away and started yelling for their parents. The ashes fell through her fingers onto the ground and she continued walking. She didn't care anymore. Not about how well she had been doing, or about those kids, or about Kara. Skye was in the city somewhere, and if Halley was going to find her, she had to think like her. She couldn't play nice.

* * *

Kara eventually convinced Alex that she was well enough to leave the DEO. Alex hesitantly agreed, but made her promise that she wouldn't fly or fight anyone for at least a day. She drove her sister back to her apartment, where the two of them composed a plan to find Halley.

"She knows this entire city like the back of her hand. She could be anywhere," Kara said.

"Chances are, she's not far from here," Alex stated. "Skye seems to have a liking to the park. Halley probably went there first."

Kara paced the floor, putting her hands on the top of her head in frustration. "This is all my fault."

"Kara, don't blame yourself. You were trying to help." Alex reassured her.

"I know, I know, but if I hadn't kept it a secret and gone after her myself then Halley wouldn't have gotten mad and she wouldn't be out there and-"

Alex stood up from her seat at the island. She grabbed Kara's shoulders and forced her to stay still and look at her. "Stop. This is _not_ your fault."

"Yeah, it kinda is," Kara told her.

Alex shook her head and gave her, her typical "big sister knows best" look. "Kara, you are not responsible for how other people react. Skye made the decision to show up in your apartment and then fight you. And Halley made the decision to walk out. That is not all on you, okay?"

Kara looked at her sister with a furrowed brow then down at the floor. She nodded. "Okay," she said, though not too convincingly.

Behind Kara, the TV screen flashed a couple of shots of a building downtown set on fire. Alex looked past her and Kara followed her gaze. She walked over, grabbed the remote and turned the volume up so they could listen. The reporter explained that it was indeed, an alien attack, and that the building was still currently on fire, but was under control.

Alex and Kara exchanged a look, both seeming to know it was Halley. Alex shook her head. "You're not going there. Not as Supergirl."

"What about as Kara Danvers: the reporter?"

"Then I'm coming with you. As Alex Danvers: FBI agent. "

"Deal."

Kara turned off the TV, she and Alex grabbed their stuff, then went off to the scene.

When they arrived, the fire had been completely extinguished and most of the firefighters and reporters had left. A few police officers remained, trying to control the amount of people in the area. Alex marched up to one, flashed her badge, and stepped under the caution tape. She gestured for Kara to follow, telling the officer she was with her. The two of them were careful to be aware of where they were stepping, but also to look to see if Halley left any clues for them or Skye behind. Unfortunately, there wasn't much to go off of. Most of the building was gone, and anything within 8 feet was also unrecognizable.

"See anything?" Kara asked Alex.

"No, you?"

"No."

Walking around to the back of what was once a structure, Kara could hear someone nearby speaking, and used her super hearing to listen in.

"She was scary. Like, the thing was completely insane. These monsters need to be locked up, seriously."

Kara frowned, feeling bad for Halley. She knew first hand what it was like to be judged and misunderstand simply for being an alien. Though, setting the fire didn't help.

She was too busy listening to notice that Alex had wandered off without her, but heard her call out for her. She followed Alex's voice to a hidden corner, and found her knelt down on the ground. She brushed some ashes out of her way and revealed a star symbol burnt into the asphalt. The initials, "H.A" were in the middle of the biggest star.

"It's only a matter of time before they find each other," Alex said, standing up and looking at Kara.

"Then we gotta find one of them first," Kara replied. "Like, now."

Alex stood up, a light bulb turning on above her head. "What if we leave Halley a message of our own?" She said. "Make it look like it's from Skye so she'll come to us?"

Kara processed the idea for a moment, then she smiled at Alex. "You, are the smartest person I know."

Alex smiled back, and cocked her head, acting modest. "I try."

"She'll probably come back here later to see if Skye responded to hers. We should make it right next to this one," Kara said.

Alex nodded, looking around to make sure no one was around. "Go for it," she told her sister.

Kara took her glasses off and used her laser vision to draw the shapes on the ground. She wrote "S.A" in the corner, then the words, "field by the entrance to the city".

"If we're lucky, Skye will see it too and we'll have both of them together," Alex added.

Kara put her glasses back on, took a breath and looked back at Alex. "Now we wait," she said.

* * *

After writing the message, Alex and Kara headed straight for the field. They had no idea if their plan would work, or how long it would take if it did, but they wanted to be ready. Alex still didn't feel comfortable with Kara fighting, so she made sure she had Hank's number ready on her phone if she needed to call.

They waited, and waited, and waited, but there was no sign was Skye or Halley. Alex was about to give up, looking around at the empty scene. But before either of them could, they heard someone come up behind them. They spun around, now face to face with Halley.

"Halley?" Kara spoke, both shocked and disappointed at who she was looking at.

Her eyes were darker than normal, her hands and arms red with fire, and she wore different clothes than what she had left the DEO in. All black. She was a mirror image of Kara when she was altered by Red Kryptonite. It was evident that whatever was about to happen, it would not be pretty.


End file.
